Nylander made that one-handed dump in after controlling the puck against a couple of Pens last night, right? I watched on a tiny screen and was confusing him and Thompson all night.
Anyway, if I'm attributing it right, those are the type of skill plays in traffic that have really surprised me so far in the preseason. My expectations for Alex were that he'd pop up in space to provide a nice shot or skill play, but would go quiet for shifts at a time. Basically, his scouting report to-date, scaled to tougher competition. Instead, his burst, vision, stickhandling, body control, and overall command of space have been noticeable. His work in transition has been really strong as well.
As for his line, I'm having a really difficult time projecting things at the moment because I'm tempering expectations for Mittelstadt. He'll be fine long-term, but I don't want to saddle 92 with a struggling linemate, or Casey with an unproven defensive player. Now, if we're going to drop 37 all the way to a sheltered 3A/3B role, I'm much more in favor of stacking the kids in that spot. There's also the prospect of flipping him to RW.
I'd honestly like to see Alex get run with Eichel before the preseason expires, I'd like to see how he fares in a more complimentary role (and with higher end talent). I'm also thirsty for Jeff Skinner data points with literally any other center, as I firmly believe him dragging a depth line to relevance is the only way this team is competitive.
